Here’s a spring flower sensory bin for toddlers and little hands. This flower planting sensory bin uses kinetic sand as soil, along with shovels and scoops, to let toddlers and preschoolers dig, plant, and explore colorful fake flowers. A perfect gardening sensory bin activity for kids that encourages imaginative play, fine motor skills, and hands-on learning. Great for spring sensory play at home or in the classroom!
This post may contain affiliate links in which I earn a small commission to help support my family. All activities and crafts should be supervised by an adult.
Why You’ll Love This Craft:
– Builds Fine Motor Skills – Kids strengthen hand muscles as they dig, scoop, and plant flowers.
– Encourages Imaginative Play – The gardening theme inspires creative, pretend play perfect for spring.
– Quick & Easy Setup – Uses simple materials like kinetic sand, shovels, and fake flowers.
If you’re interested in flower crafts or spring sensory bins, check out these posts: Paper Plate Flowers, Rainbow Lava Sensory Bin
Materials:
- Kinetic sand : This is one of my kids’ favorite sensory bases for our bins—they can play with it for ages! The soft texture and beige color make it perfect for this sensory activity.
- Fake flowers: I bought these directly from our Dollar Tree store. One-two bunches is needed for this sensory bin depending on how many little ones are involved.
- Flower pots: I also bought these from our local Dollar Tree store. I found them in the gardening section. I used 4-6 of them for both of my kids.
- Sensory shovels or kid gardening shovels: I picked up some gardening shovels for my kids from the dollar store, and also included our Learning Resources sensory shovel—the smaller handle is much easier for my two-year-old to hold and use comfortably.
- Sensory table: We bought our sensory table about a year ago, and it’s been a great investment! We use it almost daily, and the height is perfect for my kids.
- Scissors: Adult scissors are used here to cut the flowers into individual stems for planting.
Instructions:
1. This step should be done by an adult. Use scissors to cut the stems into smaller bunches so they’re easier to “plant,” making them more manageable for little hands.
2. Add the kinetic sand to one side of the sensory table. Spread it so it covers the whole base of the bin.
3. On the other side of the sensory table, add the planting pots. I used about 4–6 pots so each child had 2–3 to play with.
4. Lastly, add the cut up flowers and sensory shovels to the bin. Now its time to let you little ones get to work planting the flowers!
This flower planting sensory bin is a simple and engaging way to bring a bit of springtime play indoors. With such an easy setup, it comes together quickly using items you likely already have at home. My kids stayed busy with this activity for such a long time, scooping, digging, and planting over and over again. It’s the perfect mix of imaginative play and sensory exploration, and one we’ll definitely be coming back to again!
